Orange line lost

Hi chaps and chapesses
I am trying to help a friend who has virtually no knowledge about broadband or the setting up and have to say that although I managed to set up his connection and Belkin router in the first place I am pretty much a novice too.
He is on Orange starterpack and had a 1meg connection that worked trouble free until last week when it suddenly died by which I mean he could not connect and had no phone or ADSL light showing. Unfortunately by the time he asked for help he had already done a factory reset on the Belkin router and lost all settings. None the less set up or not surely he should still have these lights on should he not ?.
He has called Orange several times and on the first occasion was told his order to upgrade to ADSLmax was complete and the line was fine.
Being as he had made no order and knew nothing about this that came as a bit of a shock. They gave some router settings to try which made no difference.
Various calls since have resulted in him being told it is not yet completed, it is completed
try another modem (which he is now going to do) etc etc.
Then a call today to BT Wholesale told him he is still on a 1 meg connection.
I know from bad experience just how [censored] Orange are which is why I migrated but this situation is crazy.
I guess my bottom line question is this......
If a broadband ethernet router or a USB modem is connected regardless of whether the software for either is set up correctly or even installed, should the phone plus ADSL lights be showing as steady on ? ( his phone light flashes once about every 10 seconds) and does the lack of these lights in this case indicate that the problem is with the line / service provider ?
Sorry for such a long post just trying to give the background info.
Any help greatly received.

No help ?

If he has no phone and the ADSL is out too, with the rest of what has happened, it looks like Orange have upgraded him to ADSL max on their own initiative, and it has failed.

Shame about the router. But there is nothing doing until it shows an ADSL light. Trouble is that he will probably get the stupid 'Delete all cookies disable your firewall' script when he tries to get Tech support involved. I think at this point, he needs to face up to the possibility that however 'good' the Orange deal is, possibly it is over, simply because they may not get their heads around what is needed to fix it. Having said that, he could prepare to take them on in a fairly concerted campaign.

First thing now is to get the router working - take it to premises with known working ADSL and configure it to work there. Then take it back to its home premises and make only the changes necessary for working on Orange [username and password and possibly VPI/VCI if it is LLU?]. End of that, its a best guess - it is not too relevant for the moment. At the same time it might be wirth just taking another router to his, to see whether the ADSL light is out on that.

Next is to take on Orange, and say that the Max upgrade was 1] not asked for and 2] has failed and that the evidence is that the phone does not work and the router does not show an ADSL light. And refuse to get into 'delete cookies and disable firewall' type routines. Say it is a new router and the old one has gone, if necessary. If no joy, then it is a recorded delivery letter to Orange at the Registered Office, with an ultimatum to fix within 21 days, after which, cut the money supply and go elsewhere

Many thanks Pitnicker. That is pretty much what I thought but wanted to get confirmation by someone more competent. Thanks again.